Centering and supporting device for car-couplings.



I w. F. RICHARDS. CENTERING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLINGS.

APPLICATIYON man 03.29. 1913. Patented July 4 1916.

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QFMW/d FGR CAR COUPLINGS APPHCAHON FILED DEC-29. 79:3- 1

atentad July 1, LEE-0, v

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TENT OFFICE.

WILLARD F. RICHARDS, OF DEPEW, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GOULD COUPLER ICOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented July 4, 1916.

Application filed December 29, 1913. Serial No. 809,182.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLARD F. RICHARDS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Depew, in the county of Erieand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inCentering and Supporting Devices for Car-Couplings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to centering and supporting devices for railwaypassenger couplers and other couplers which are provided with arelatively long shank or drawbar pivoted so as to permit the coupler toswing horizontally transversely of the car. These centering devices arefor the purpose of permitting the couplers to swing sidewise when thecars are rounding curves and for returning the couplers to and yieldinglretaining them normally in their central position.

The' objects of the invention are to provide "a centering and supportingdevice of this sort which is of strong, simple, durable and desirableconstruction, such that a relatively great swing of the drawbar ispermitted by the use of comparatively short,small centering springs;.also to employ two centering springs both of which act in conjunction toresist the movement of the drawbar in each direction and to return thedrawbar, but which do not project and are not moved lat erally beyondthe ends of the drawbar support or carry iron; also to construct thedevice so that the springs are inclosed and protected; and also toimprove the construction of devices of this sort in the respectshereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a plan View of a coupler andsupporting and centering device therefor elnbodyingthe invention. Fig. 2is a similar view showing the coupler swung to one side. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional elevation thereof, on an enlarged scale, in line5-3, Fig. 1.- Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation thereof, on anenlarged scale, in line H, Fig. 2. Fig.

' 5 is a horizontal section thereof, partly in plan, on a still largerscale, in line 5-4), Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary crosssectional elevations thereof on line 6-6 and 77, respectively, Fig. 3.Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end view of the carry-iron.

A represents a coupler and a the shank or drawbar thereof, which ispivoted at its inner end at a. to permit the coupler to swing sidewiseto eitherside of the normal central position shown in Fig. 1. Thecoupler and drawbar may be of any usual or desired construction andmaybe pivoted to the car or other railway rolling stock in any suitablemanner.

B represents a carry-iron or support for the outer end of the drawbar.This carryiron, as usual, has upright end attaching portions b withlaterally projecting upper ends adapted to be bolted or otherwisesecured to the car or other rolling stock, and a horizontal portion 7)which connects the lower ends of the attaching portions beneath thedrawbar, which is supported thereby. The carry-iron B preferablyconsists of a single piece steel casting, the connecting portion ofwhich is in the form of an open-ended cylinder or tubular spring housinghaving a sub stantially flat horizontal top face 6 C represents a saddleor slide in which the drawbar rests and which is adapted to slide withthe drawbar on the carry-iron B between theattaching portions 1)thereof. This saddle preferably consists of asinglepiece substantiallyU-shaped steel casting having a horizontal bottom and upwardlyprojecting sides 0 between which the drawbar'is confined, said sides 0having convexed inner surfaces, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, on which thedrawbar is adapted to rock and slide in the horizontal swingingmovements of the drawbar. The saddle has a fiat bottom face which restsand is adapted to slide on the flat top face b of the spring housin Z)of the carry-iron and is provided with a central lug D and end lugs clcl" which extend downwardly into a longitudinal slot 03 in the top ofthe spring housing 7) of the carry-iron. I p

Within the spring housing 7) at opposite sides of the depending centrallug D of the saddle are{arranged two coil springs E-E' which bear attheir outer ends against sliding abutments. These sliding abutments arepreferably in the form of sockets or sleeves F F in which the springsare confined. The sleeves areprovided at their spring sleeves fromturning in the spring housing and cooperate with the lugs cl d onthesaddle, as hereinafter explained.

The spring and sliding spring sleeves are retained in the spring housingby end caps G which are secured in place on the ends of the housing by abolt or rod H which extends lengthwise centrally through the springhousing and through the caps G. The slot (Z in the spring housing ispreferably continued through the upright end portions 1) of thecarry-iron, and the caps G have notches g registering with the slot sothat any Cinders or other matter which may fall into the slot will beshoved out of the open ends thereof by the lugs d d of the saddle in theoperation of the centering device and will not collect in the housing orinterfere with the movement of the saddle. The cap's'can be preventedfrom turning on the housing so as to retain their notches g in registerwith the slot (Z by ribs 9 on the caps entering notches in the ends ofthe housing,. or in any other convenient way. The bolt or rod H passesloosely through the spring sleeves and springs and through a hole It inthe central lug D of the saddle and thus retains the saddle as well asthe other parts in place on the carry-iron.

The spring housing is provided internally midway of its length withfixed abut- -ments or ribs I againstwhich the inner ends of the springsare adapted to react. These ahutnients are spaced apart far enough toallow the lug D of the saddle to pass betweenthem. \Vashers K arepreferably interposed between the inner ends of the springs and the lugD and are adapted to engage the liig and the abutments I.

Normally the springs E E hold the spring sleeves F F in the outer endsof the spring housing against the caps G and press against the oppositesides of the central lug D of the saddle, thereby holding the saddle andthe drawbar in the central position. In this position of the parts thelugs f f of the spring sleeves bears against the inner sides of the endlugs (Z d of the saddle, as shown in Fig. Whenthe drawbar is moved inone direction, for instance to the right, as shown in Fig. 4, the saddlewill be correspondingly moved and the central lug D thereof willcompress the right-hand spring E. At the same time the lug d of thesaddle, engaging the lug f of the spring sleeve l",will draw this sleeveinwardly and compress" the other spring E between the sleeve F and theabutments 11 Both springs are thu 'compressed and both will act toreturn the saddle and'drawbar to the central position when the sidepressure on the g drawbaris released. In a similar manner, -when thedrawbar and saddle are moved in .the opposite direction from the centralposition thespring E will be compressed by the central lug D of thesaddle and the spring sleeve F will be drawn inwardly by the engagementof the lugs d and f and will compress the other spring E? against theabutments'I. Therefore both springs act to resist the movement vof thedrawbar in and prevent cinders or other matter from getting into thesprings and interfering with the operation thereof. The cinders or othermatter which may fall into the slot (Z are shoved out of the open endsthereof by the lugs 03 d of the saddle.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a drawbar carryiron having a hollow horizontalportion which forms a spring housing, a drawbar saddle which is arrangedto slide on said housing and has a lug projecting into said housing,springs in said housing at opposite sides of said lug andacting thereon,an abutment in said housing for the-inner ends of said springs, slidingabutments in said housing for the outer ends of said springs, and meanswhereby one of said sliding abutments is moved with said saddle whensaid saddle is moved in either direction.

2. The combination of a drawbar carryiron having a hollow horizontalportion" which forms a spring housing, a drawba-r saddle whichis'arranged to slide on said housing and has a lug projecting into saidhousing, springs in said housing at opposite sides of said lug andacting thereon, a stationary abutment in said housing between saidsprings and against which the inner ends of said springs are adapted toreact, sliding sleeves against which the outer ends of the springs act,and lugs on said saddle engaging lugs on said sleeves, whereby both ofsaid springs yieldingly resist the movement of said saddle in bothdirections.

3. The combination of a drawbar carryiron, a drawbar saddle which isarranged to slide on said carry-iron, s rings arranged at opposite sidesof a part 0 said saddle and acting against said part, a stationaryabutment between said springs against which the inner ends of saidsprings are adapted to react, sliding. abutments against which the outerends of said springs act, and parts on said saddle adapted to engagesaid sliding abutments whereby one of said sliding either direction.

4. The combination of a drawbar carryiron having end attaching portionsand a hollow open-ended connecting portion provided with a longitudinalslot extending from end to end thereof, centering means for the drawbarlocated in said hollow portionand including a partextending through saidslotfor engagement with the drawbar, and-caps for the ends of saidhollow portion havingslots registering with the ends of saidlongitudinal slot.

5. The combination of a drawbar carryiron having a tubular horizontalportion which forms a spring housing and has open ends and alongitudinal slot, a drawbar saddle which is arranged to slide on' saidhousing, abutments arranged to slide in the 0pposite end'portions ofsaid housing, engaging parts on said saddle and said abutments extendingthrough said slot in the housing whereby said abutments are adapted 'tobe moved by said saddle, spring means. in said housing for yieldinglyresisting the inward movement of said abutments, caps for, closing theends of said housing, and a stationary securing bolt for said caps whichextends through said housing, abutments and spring means.

'6. The combination of a drawbar carry! iron having a tubular horizontalportion which forms a spring housing and has open ends and alongitudinal slot'in its top which is open at the ends of the housing, adrawbar saddle which is arranged to slide on said housing, abutmentsarranged to slide inthe opposite end portions of said housing, engagingparts on said saddle and abutments extending through said slot in thehousing whereby said abutments are adapted to be moved by said saddle,spring means in said housing for yieldingly resisting theinward movementof said abutments, caps for closing the ends of said housing, said capsleaving the ends of said slot open, and a' stationary securing bolt forsaid caps which extends through said housing, abutments and springmeans.

Witness my hand, this 18th day of December, 1913.-

WILLARD F. RICHARDS.

Wit1ss%% P ARKER, A. L. MoGEE.

